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HISTORY OF

[general remarks.

entirely different. At the same time, this principle was departed from in someof the grants made.

“ If the principle adopted in the grant of Medals to the Navy, is adhered toin the grant of Medals to Officers of the Army; and that Medals are to begranted to General Officers, and Lieutenant-Colonels commanding regiments, onan occasion to be commemorated, because, on a similar occasion, they would begranted to Admirals and Captains of Ships of the Line, it is difficult to restrictthe grant, or to make a selection of Officers to whom they should be grantedto commemorate the Battles of Busaco and Fuentes de Onoro, if Governmentdetermine that these Actions should be commemorated in that manner. If,however, that principle is departed from, it is not difficult to make out a List ofthe names of Officers already reported to your Lordship, who were at the headof Corps or Detachments upon these occasions, and who had a conspicuousshare in the event which it is the intention of the Government to commemoratein this manner. It is not probable, however, that the adoption of this principlewill decrease the number of those to whom the honour would be granted; butas I have already represented to your Lordship, I do not think this important:that which is important in the establishment of the principle on which the grantof this honour should be made, is, that every Officer should feel that he shallreceive the mark of distinction, if he should be in the place to distinguish himself,and should act in the manner to deserve to be distinguished, whatever may behis Military rank. It may be contended by me, that the Officers of the BritishArmy do not require an honour of this description to stimulate their exertions,and that the grant of the Medal is therefore useless; but, however, those whocontend for this principle, must admit that a selection of those who have hadan opportunity of distinguishing themselves in an Action, is a less objectionablemode of granting it, than the grant of it by classes, whether the individualscomposing those classes have distinguished themselves or not.

“ I have now the honour to enclose Lists of the names of the Officers who,on the principle of selection, ought, in my opinion, to receive Medals for theBattles of Busaco and Fuentes de Onoro, if Government think proper to distin-guish these Battles by Medals.

“ In respect to the Battle of Albuera, I was not there, and am not able togive an opinion upon it. One Brigade of the 4th division of Infantry, however,was not in the Action, nor Brigadier-General Madden’s Brigade of Cavalry.The brunt of the action was on the right; but some of the corps of infantry, I